The Mosquito Coast

By: Paul Theroux

Narrated by: David Aaron Baker

Length: 16 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Allie Fox is going to re-create the world. Abominating the cops, crooks, junkies and scavengers of modern America, he abandons civilisation and takes the family to live in the Honduran jungle. There his tortured messianic genius keeps them alive, his hoarse tirades harrying them through a diseased and dirty Eden towards unimaginable darkness.

©1982 Cape Cod Scriveners (P)2010 Recorded Books LLC

Riveting Exploration of Madness & Masculinity

Creepy and captivating exploration of dogma, madness, and toxic masculinity. The story of a hubristic, tyrannical father who drags his family of six to Honduras to build a utopia free from the degradation of capitalism and consumerism. The novel works perfectly as an audiobook because it's written in first person, narrated by the 14-year-old son, and plays like a terrible, vivid dream that stays with you.

David Aaron Baker reads beautifully, capturing both the guilelessness and slow dawning of the narrator and the vituperative rants of Father. He reads the latter with a sneering, indignant tone that evokes Jack Nicholson circa Five Easy Pieces, and the former with a gentle, curious voice that brings to mind River Phoenix (who played the son in the film adaptation). The recording is crisp and flawless. Perfect for summer, especially for long walks under the hot sun, as you stroll warily, eyeing the birds overhead.

Beautifully Written

I struggled with the print version but this audio book was great. I loved the voice behind it.

Fascinating look at genius and madness

the characters and Era captured me immediately. I understood how a child idolizes a parent and then matures to watch that parent fall into the abyss. Theroux's story is a brilliant adventure into the unknown with heights of achievement and depths of peril.

So depressing

If you’re reading this book because you liked the tv show adaptation, don’t. Very little of it is the same. The main character is tough to follow for 16 hours because he is nothing but bitter and angry and abusive. It might be tolerable if there were parts of the story that offered a reprieve from those things but there were almost none. The book is very well narrated and parts of the story are super interesting but mostly the whole thing is miserable.

Great Narator

David Baker sounded like he really enjoyed narrating this story, it is the entire reason I enjoyed the book. The story was great but I believe I would not have enjoyed it as much if I had read it rather than have listened to David narrate it.

Love and Fury

When dreams and passion and strong opinions go awry. You want to love and relate to this genius Allie, but you want to protect his family from a disaster. A classic, masterfully written and performed from beginning to the end!

Dreadful in every sense of the word.

Would you listen to The Mosquito Coast again? Why?
Unlikely. This book is a painful look into family dynamics that would break most of us.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
For anyone who has personally experienced verbal battery, this book will be instantly recognizable. My continuing thought was "Mom, how can you stay and allow this to continue?" Which, of course, is always the question.

Any additional comments?
I rate this book as 5 only because of its power - not because it is "good". It is very like being in a continuous train wreck, bruised and bloody.. Or like having a 707 go down in your neighborhood in a ball of fire, and being unable to do anything but watch in horror..

Strong narration

Great narration of the various characters. an enjoyable listen. You can feel the frustration of the main character against his father.

a vey good book.

Would you consider the audio edition of The Mosquito Coast to be better than the print version?

i never read the print version but think i saw the movie.

What did you like best about this story?

the characters were so well developed. allie reminded me of an exagerated archie bunker but he was still believable. it was an unusual setting.

Have you listened to any of David Aaron Baker’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

yes he is consistantly good!

If you could take any character from The Mosquito Coast out to dinner, who would it be and why?

allie's wife. i would like to know why she stayed married to such a egotistical,crazy, offensive man--even tho he was a genius.

Any additional comments?

i will read this book many times! it was so good i read it in two days.

Expertly read, tough story

The narration by Mr Baker is very well done - some of the best I've listened to in an audiobook. The story was not what I expected. The father is a very difficult personality to spend a whole story with, which made the listen a challenge.